Our Last
by MustangsGirl
Summary: The rain fell steadily, blanketing the lonely town in a soft spring shower. He was there to drink away his pain... she was there to save him from himself. Royai[RoyRiza]story Rated M for future lemon situations.


The rain fell steadily, blanketing the lonely town in a soft spring shower. Streetlights stood their ground at the street's edge like silent soldiers, illuminating the small droplets which for a moment became like small glittering jewels which dissipated as soon as they had passed through the pale light.

Washing over empty sidewalks, into the streets, and nourishing the young green plants which had begun to once again flourish, the rain seemed to cleanse the small city of all its shrouded distortions- even the darkest places where most avoided to trespass. In the least, a silence had been conjured in the absence of human life, as all huddled indoors to wait out the passing storm; all but one, it seemed.

With his hands in his pockets to hide them from the cold, a young man made his way through the streets. His black umbrella branched above him, and he groggily listened to the beating rain rolling off its sleek material as he strolled at an off-kilter pace.

His navy blue military uniform remained stiff and dry underneath his sleek trench coat which he pulled closer to his neck in the night chill. With a heavy sigh, he watched his breath form tiny clouds.

If someone were to see him there, chances were he'd be immediately recognized as the infamous Colonel Mustang, and to some who knew him less, he was the well known "flame alchemist." Few people in the town knew him for who he really was underneath all of his formalities and titles- as just plain old Roy.

Every night was the same- after work, it was a straight line to the bar, where he could sit at the polished counter under the dim lights and drink his life away. All his troubles at work, all the unfinished paperwork- they all seemed to dissolve into the back of his mind; a temporary relief from his pain.

Ever since his dear friend and fellow officer Lt. Colonel Maes Hughes had passed away, he had felt his life going down hill slowly. He had lost interest in the simple things of life, and instead had been consumed by the insatiable grief that he was alone in the world without his trusted partner by his side.

_Alone_... what a terrible word.

It wasn't only the loss of Hughes which pained the young colonel, however. The military was crumbling; officers murdered, fighting, deceiving one another… it was hardly a place of enjoyable atmosphere.

He narrowed his eyes and focused on the slick road. That's why it had to be done.

Hughes's death had opened doors for him, as much as he hated to admit. He had been able to get a glimpse of the military's corruption, and knew that something needed to be done to restore its integrity for the good of the innocent. He had taken it upon himself to further delve into the secrets of the military's top officials and their way of running things, and he had stumbled upon some devastating and dangerous secrets.

It had only been a matter of time before the corrupted leaders had gotten word of his snooping and had made their attempts to silence him. With the help of his subordinate officers, however, the colonel had managed to slip away into shadows, waiting for the opportune moment to strike at the very core of the military's evil- at the mysterious and powerful Furor King Bradley himself. It was a dangerous plan; one that only a suicidal fool would attempt, but he had taken it upon himself to restore the good name of the military; to regain the people's respect and properly resolve the distorted lives of the innocent and dedicated.

This night… it would be his last night of hiding; the last night, perhaps of his life. Still, he knew, if nothing else his life would come with a collateral- the Furor's dead body.

His tortured thoughts continued to flow like the rain, and his mind still buzzed, the effects of his liquor had not completely worn away. At the sound of steadily approaching footsteps, he lifted his head to the road before him, surprised that someone else was as crazy as he to be out in the rain.

The colonel stopped in his tracks when they came into view. For a moment, he thought he had been imagining it- perhaps the combination of cool rain and alcohol had finally done him in.

Up ahead she came, jogging at a quick pace. The rain seemed to submit to her as she ran through it effortlessly in her fitted black tank. Her blonde hair, although pulled into a soft bun, had managed to come undone in some places as she ran; the rain sliding down her skin effortlessly.

It was his subordinate officer, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. She, like Hughes, was a different kind of subordinate; he kept her close to him as well. She was a fighter- an expert marksman with a keen eye and clear mind for avoiding unnecessary confrontation, while maintaining her classic calm exterior. Underneath all of that, she stood as his protector and disciple; she had made him a promise upon becoming his subordinate many years ago that she would follow him in whatever he chose to do- that she would always fight by his side.

As she neared him, Roy suddenly saw an obstinate expression etched into her features, as if something serious plagued her mind. She maintained her pace, however, as if she was not running from her problems, but yet trying to run with them; to challenge them.

Roy sighed and rubbed his eyes. All this insight from a man who was drunk at a bar nearly 20 minutes ago- it was almost humorous.

Riza's amber eyes fell upon him suddenly, and he could see the surprise in her face. Her footsteps slowed to a staggering walk and she hugged her arms into herself, breathing hard.

"C-colonel… wh-what are you doing out in the rain?" she asked breathlessly, her voice held a hint of concern.

_She must smell the alcohol by now._ He thought. _She'll think I'm some sort of pathetic drunk._

"I could ask the same of you." He stated, seeing the way her clothes clung to her body from the rain.

She exhaled deeply and raised a hand to wipe away the rain that had formed on her face. For the first time, the Colonel could see a hint of sadness in her eyes and it surprised him to see it.

"I… I thought it might be nice to go out running… just to… to think about things."

She looked up when she felt the rain on her cease, and saw the umbrella above her then.

"What were you thinking about?"

Riza looked up at her superior officer, not sure how to answer. How could she tell him that she had been running to get her mind off of what the next day held? Their plan was to take effect, and she had suddenly grown scared; the realization of what they were to do had proven to get the best of her.

"Everything… everything that has happened since I joined the military." She said at last, surprised at her own honesty. "I've just been thinking of the choices I made, of everything that has happened over the years, of… tomorrow."

Roy looked down at her, slightly taken back by her words. He had almost forgotten the selfless sacrifice she was making by joining him in his plan to take down the Furor.

She seemed to realize that he was reading into her words, and immediately she didn't like it. The last thing she wanted to do was worry him.

"I should be heading home now…" she spoke in a lighter tone, hoping to dislodge his thoughts. "You should head home too, sir. The rain can make you sick. Besides- you know you're useless in the rain." She smiled, hoping he still remembered their encounter with Scar from so long ago. The rain had poured down, and the Colonel had almost gotten himself killed, forgetting his wet gloves couldn't produce a spark.

She had planned on leaving it at that; she would excuse herself politely and go home where she could think about things on her own. She was used to doing that anyway- no one ever asked her what she was thinking… it never really mattered to anyone.

As she finished her sentence and looked up at her commanding officer, she found herself lost in his gaze.

He was staring down at her with a strange look on his face; his onyx eyes were clouded over with concern.

She took a step back, suddenly feeling the rain falling on her once again. She had forgotten how it felt, and blinked as a drop landed on her cheek and slowly rolled down to the corner of her mouth.

With an awkward half-smile, she turned around to leave, not sure if there was something else she should say.

"Wait."

She stopped in her tracks, silent, waiting for him to say something more. For a moment, the sound of the rain seemed to grow louder, to compensate for their lack of a conversation.

Slowly, she turned around to face him once again.

"Sir?"

His serious expression suddenly turned to a smile as he held out his umbrella towards her. "You're a little wet."

She had been expecting any response at that point; anything but that. She looked down at herself, seeing her soaked clothing and her hair plastered to her head. She felt cold, wet, and surprisingly… she felt like laughing.

For the first time since she could remember, Riza laughed.

"Okay." She said. "So maybe I am."

Roy smiled down at his Lieutenant, for the first time hearing her laugh. Her amber eyes seemed to sparkle as she joined him under the umbrella.

In that one moment of silence, it fully occurred to him that the next day would hold events that could possibly change both of their lives forever. That was something he could not let go of as he had watched her begin to walk away from him in the rain. It was then that he decided to make the best of what time they had left. The wise words "live like there is no tomorrow" never so deeply touched him as it did at that very moment. He owed her that much, at least.

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Author's Note

Hey guys… thanks for reading my first chapter! I will definitely be posting more, so be sure to check it out when I do! I'll be getting out of college soon for the summer, so I'll try to finish the story before I leave. Yay, deadline! .

Well that's all for now, I guess! Please tell me what you think, and more will come soon!


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